THE MISSION

My good friend and mentor Carl Thompson passed a story his father told him along to me. He said '...If you think something is in the wrong place, pick it up and move it'. This line is constantly bouncing around my head as I work.

I've always been fascinated with building things, so the second I was taught a few simple repair tricks for upright bass I got hooked. The mashup of my passion for music and creating things led me to a very exciting search for more information on the subject of guitar making. I reached out to many builders in the US and abroad and was fortunate enough to befriend and eventually apprentice under the legendary guitar maker, Carl Thompson. With guidance from Carl and his two assistants, Pete Hilton and Kelvin Daily, I started to learn the physical, but also mental process of building a musical instrument. For two years I split my time working between Carl’s and Roger Sadowsky’s shop to broaden my experience. Learning this craft is an unending process and I look forward to the whole journey.

Both Carl and Roger tell many stories at the shop. Every one of them makes me wish I had been around during the booming music scene of the mid 1900's. Stories of the sheer volume of available work for musicians, the desire of the public for great live entertainment on a night out, and the level of musicianship and devotion of every artist leaves a lot to be desired these days. Therefore, it is my goal as a guitar maker, repairman and musician to do my part in uniting a fractured music scene and help fellow musicians get back to the root of our pursuits: the music.